Friday, January 09, 2009

Sure, it’s nice to be popular. Who doesn’t want people excitedly talking about them to friends, family, and the occasional passerby? But, just because “Johnny jumps off a cliff…” Well, we all know the rest of that age-old parental admonition. So, it appears the real issue comes down to good old-fashioned work—as in does it or doesn’t it? Work, that is…

Of course, when it comes to alternative medical treatments, that’s at the heart of the debate. Do these, typically untested, treatments really do what they say—relieve pain, lower cholesterol, calm the nerves? Or, is it all a giant scheme to fleece unsuspecting seekers-of-health out of their quickly dwindling cash? Hmm…

Regardless of which side of the debate you support, more Americans than ever are turning to alternative treatments for a wide variety of illnesses. A recent survey found that 38 percent of U.S. adults used some form of alternative medicine in 2007. That’s up from 36 percent who did so in 2002. Yes, it’s a surprisingly stable figure, despite the ongoing debate.

The most common reason for choosing an alternative approach is pain—especially back pain. Some of the most popular alternative approaches for pain reduction are chiropractic, message therapy and acupuncture. This area makes terrific sense, as even traditional physicians admit that pain is a tricky area, both difficult to diagnose and to treat.

Natural products are also widely used, often to treat high blood pressure and to lower cholesterol. The most commonly used natural product: fish oil.